QUARANTINE REGULATIONS.

375. Certain powers and duties are given consular officers by the quarantine act of February 15, 1893, which provides, among other things, as follows:

(a) Bill of health to be obtained from consul.-Any vessel at any foreign port clearing for any port or place in the United States shall be required to obtain from the consul, vice-consul, or other consular officer of the United States at the port of departure, or from the medical officer where such officer has been detailed by the President for that purpose, a bill of health, in duplicate, in the form prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, setting forth the sanitary history and condition of said vessel, and that it has in all respects complied with the rules and regulations in such cases prescribed for securing the best sanitary condition of the said vessel, its cargo, passengers, and crew.

(b) Contents.-Said consular or medical officer is required, before granting such duplicate bill of health, to be satisfied that the matters and things therein stated are true.

(c) Fees of consul.-For his services in that behalf he shall be entitled to demand and receive such fees as shall by lawful regulation be allowed, to be accounted for as is required in other cases.

(d) Medical officer may be detailed at President, in his discretion, is authorized to detail any medical officer of the Government to serve in the office of the consul at any foreign port for the purpose of furnishing information and making the inspection and giving the bills of health herein before mentioned.

(e) Penalty for vessel clearing without bill of health.-Any vessel clearing and sailing from any such port without such bill of health, and entering any port of the United States,

shall forfeit to the United States not more than $5,000, the amount to be determined by the court, which shall be a lien on the same, to be recovered by proceedings in the proper district court of the United States.

(f) Proceedings.—In all such proceedings the United States district attorney for such district shall appear on behalf of the United States; and all such proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with the rules and laws governing cases of seizure of vessels for violation of the revenue laws of the United States.1-27 Stat. L., 450, sec. 2.

(g) To be posted in consulate.-None of the penalties herein imposed shall attach to any vessel or owner or officer thereof until a copy of this act, with the rules and regulations made in pursuance thereof, has been posted up in the office of the consul or other consular office of the United States for ten days in the port from which said vessel sailed, and the certificate of such consul or consular officer over his official signature shall be competent evidence of such posting in any court of the United States.-27 Stat. L., 450, sec. 3.

(h) Sanitary reports to be made by consuls.-The consular officer of the United States at such ports and places as shall be designated by the Secretary of the Treasury shall make to the Secretary of the Treasury weekly reports of the sanitary condition of the ports and places at which they are respectively stationed, according to such forms as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe.-27 Stat. L., 451, sec. 4.

(i) Rules for vessels from foreign ports.-The same act also provides that the Secretary of the Treasury shall make such rules and regulations as are necessary to be observed by

1Section 2 of the act of February 15, 1893, does not apply to vessels plying between foreign ports on or near the frontiers of the United States and ports of the United States adjacent thereto; but the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized, in his discretion, to establish regulations governing such vessels. (28 Stat. L., 372.)

vessels at the port of departure and on the voyage, where such vessels sail from any foreign port or place to any port or place in the United States, to secure the best sanitary condition of such vessel, her cargo, passengers, and crew, which shall be published and communicated to and enforced by the consular officers of the United States.-27 Stat. L., 451, sec. 3.

376. Treasury regulations adopted. In pursuance of the authority conferred by the foregoing law the Secretary of the Treasury has made regulations for the guidance of the officers charged with the execution of the law in foreign ports and in those of the United States. This body of rules has been published in a pamphlet entitled "Quarantine laws and regulations of the United States, April 26, 1894." These Treasury regulations, as they stand and as they may from time to time be revised or amended, are, so far as they impose duties on consular officers, hereby made a part of the Consular Regulations.

377. Expense of execution.-The expense of visiting vessels, making inspections, and any other necessary expense actually incurred by consular officers in the execution of the quarantine laws and regulations must be paid by the ship or by the person for whom the services are performed. The expense of visiting, the fees for inspection, the hire of an expert where necessary to make an inspection and report, are legitimate charges under this head. These charges must be limited to the actual and necessary expenses so incurred. The consul is not authorized to make any profit whatever out of these official services. His time and labor are paid for by the Government, and the services are purely official.

378. Official fees.-The official fees prescribed in the tariff (paragraph 533) for the formal services of certification must be collected in addition to the expenses, and must be accounted for to the Treasury.

379. Outbreak of disease reported by cable.-In the event of the

outbreak of Asiatic cholera, yellow fever, or other contagious disease in epidemic form, the Department of State must immediately be advised by cable or telegraph of such outbreak. The following cipher and abbreviations should be used: "Cholera "-meaning, cholera has appeared.

"Yellow"-meaning, yellow fever has appeared.

The name of a country, meaning that the disease has made its appearance at several places in the country named.

The name of a vessel, meaning that the vessel named has departed from the place whence the telegram is sent, bound for a port in the United States.

"Poison," meaning that the vessel referred to, though leaving a then healthy port, has on board passengers or goods (baggage) coming from a district infected with cholera or yellow fever.

When cholera or yellow fever has appeared at several places in a country, name the country only, after the word "cholera" or "yellow," as the case may be; if it has appeared at the place only from which the telegram is sent, do not repeat the name of that place in the body of the dispatch, but if at any other particular place, name it.

In a telegram announcing the departure of a vessel to a port in the United States, the port of departure will be understood to be the place from which the telegram is sent; hence the name of the port of departure need not be repeated. In the body of a telegram the name of the vessel should be given first; second, the name of the country, when applicable; third, the day of departure, omitting the day of the month and of the year, as they will be understood without saying; third, the name of the port of destination (the importance of observing this order will appear obvious when it is understood that many vessels bear the names of ports in the United States); fourth, the name of the disease, “cholera" or "yellow," as the case may be, should be given, provided the

Department has not been already advised of the outbreak of the disease. When advice has once been given of the appearance of cholera or yellow fever at a certain port, the name of the disease need not be repeated in telegrams announcing the subsequent departure of vessels from that port.

When the name of a vessel is given without stating whether it is a steamer or sailing vessel, it will be understood to be a steamer; if the vessel is a sailing vessel, its proper designation should be prefixed. The sender of the telegram should sign his last name only.

380. Forms. The forms prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury for use by consular officers in executing the quarantine regulations may be obtained by application to the Department of State as for other forms.

Records. Copies of all bills of health and supplemental bills of health must be kept at the consulate as a record.

REGULATIONS TOUCHING THE IMPORTATION OF NEAT CATTLE AND HIDES.

381. Issued by Treasury Department.-The Treasury regulations made, or which may hereafter be made, in pursuance of section 17 of the act of August 28, 1894, to prevent the introduction or spread of contagious or infectious diseases among the cattle of the United States, are to be regarded as a part of the Consular Regulations in so far as they impose duties on consular officers.-28 Stat. L., 550.

382. Issued by Agricultural Department. The regulations issued, or which may be issued, by the Department of Agriculture under the authority of the act of August 30, 1890, concerning the importation of neat cattle, sheep, and other ruminants and all swine (sections 7, 8, 9, and 10) are likewise made a part of the Consular Regulations to the extent that they require the cooperation of the consular officers.-26 Stat. L., 416.